Yun, Abdvali Help Kick Off Greco-Roman at Asian Games

INCHEON, Korea (September 30) – World champions YUN Won-Chol (PRK) and Saeid Mourad ABDVALI (IRI) help kick off the Greco-Roman wrestling events at the Asian Games on Tuesday, hoping to extend the success of their countries in freestyle to the classic style.

Yun comes into Dowon Gymnasium as one of the favorites at 59kg along with defending Asian Games champion Kohei HASEGAWA (JPN), while Abdvali highlights the entry list at 71kg along with Olympic Games and Asia champion JUNG Ji-Hyun (KOR)

Yun will try to match the gold medal of compatriot JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) in freestyle while Advali will seek to add to the four gold medals his countrymen won in freestyle.

Host Korea continues to seek its first gold medal of the Asian Games in wrestling, even though its wrestlers won medals in six of the eight freestyle categories. Kazakhstan with three silver medals and bronze in freestyle will also be seeking a gold in Greco-Roman.

59kg -- Greco-Roman (15 entries)

Defending Asian Games champion Kohei HASEGAWA (JPN) makes a rare appearance starting in the upper-half of the bracket while 2013 world champion YUN Won-Chol (PRK) begins in the lower-half. 

Hasegawa appears headed to a semifinal match-up with Asian championships bronze medalist Kanybek ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ) while Yun will likely square off with 2011 world silver medalist Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) in the other semifinal.

Hasegawa, who last won the prestigious Pytlasinski tourney in 2013, grabbed the 2010 Asian Games gold medal with a victory over five-time world champion Hamid SORYAN (IRI). Soryan, who claimed his sixth world title in Tashkent earlier this month, is sitting out the 2014 Asian Games.

71kg -- Greco-Roman (9 entries) 

Athens 2004 Olympic Games champion at 60kg JUNG Ji-Hyun (KOR) has found a new home at Greco-Roman’s new weight category, winning the Asian championships title in April and looking for the gold medal in front of the vocal Korean fans in Incheon.

Jung, however, will have get past 2011 world champion Saeid ABDVALI (IRI) in the semifinals. Abdvali took a bronze medal at the Asian championships at 75kg.

In the lower-half of the bracket, Tsutomu FUJIMURA (JPN) won an Asian Games bronze medal in 2010 and Shermet PERMANOV (TKM) finished in seventh at the world championships in Tashkent.

80kg -- Greco-Roman (8 entries)

Hungarian Grand Prix winner Habbibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) stumbled at the world championships in the quarterfinals at 80kg, but appears ready to make a charge for the gold medal final in Incheon.

Asia champion Yanarbek KENYEEV (KGZ) looks to the gold medal final as well, but will have to get by Tsukasa TSURUMAKI (JPN), the Asian Games silver medalist at 74kg in Guangzhou.

98kg -- Greco-Roman (9 entries)

Asia champion Yerulan ISKAKOV (KAZ) leads the list of entries here but 2013 World University Games bronze medalist Mahdi ALIYARI FEIZABADI (IRI) will challenge in the semifinals.

Asian championships bronze medalist XIAO Di (CHN) and 2013 world bronze medal finalist Norikatsu SAIKAWA (JPN) could meet in the quarterfinals for an trip to the gold medal final.